Sir, - The Leaving Certificate Craftwork/Design examination took place in second level schools on May 14th in one five-hour session. Many crafts require time to dry between stages and students spend a great part of the day artificially drying these with hair dryers. Pottery, which has to be fired and glazed cannot of course be produced in one day.
The normal difficulties were further compounded this year by the inclusion of another exam on the same day. The timetable set this year by the Department of Education placed Life Drawing at 9.15 and 10.15 a.m. After a break of half an hour, students then had to face a five-hour exam in craftwork and the day ended at 4.45 p.m. The five-hour craftwork exam is more than enough for one day, for young people and their teachers. On a positive note, however, the courtesy shown by personnel in Athlone, who received hundreds of distressed phone calls during the period just before and after the examination day, has to be complimented. They were at all times most helpful. It is heartening to deal with understanding people rather than an inflexible faceless bureaucracy.
One further point must be made with regard to this and all other practical examinations. The teacher's presence is required by the Department at all times in the centre during the examination. Teachers are of course out of time-tabled classes but the Department will not cover the expense of a substitute teacher. This means that art and other practical teachers are not only involved with preparation and distribution of materials in the exam centre but are responsible at the same time for the other regular nonexam class groups. Does the Department seriously expect one teacher to be in two places at one time? - Yours, etc., Aine Andrews,
President, Association of Art Teachers of Ireland, St. Patrick's Quay, Cork.